ackerman



No. 627,377. Patented lune 20, |899. H. U. ACKERMAN. CLOTHES WRINGER.

(Application led May 6, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 527,377.. Patented June zo, |899. H. U. ACKERMAN.

CLOTHES WRINGEB.

(Application filed May 6, 18979.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

kan C.,

Mw al? UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

HOWARD U. ACKERMAbL-OF. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

CLOTHES-WRINGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,377, dated'J' une 20, 1899.

l 4Application filed May 6, 1899. Serial No. 715,853. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.:

Be itknown that I, HOWARD U. A CKERMAN, a citizen` ofthe United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the 'county of Marion, State of Indiana, have linvented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Wringers, ot' which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference-marked thereon.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and durable support for the rollers of a clotheswringer,which will allow ample freedom of movement without binding or cram ping and thecreation of undue friction.

A further object is to provide means whereby the rollers will be removed from contact with each other onthe removal of the wringer from the tub to which it is fastened when in use.

The object also is to provide a clamp whereby the Wringer can be fastened to sheet-metal tubs with thin sides', and, further, as an additional improvement to provide a clamp with which a wringer may with equal readiness be fastened to sheet-metal tubs and to wooden or fiber tubs, as Well as to provide details of construction, as described.

I accomplish the object of the invention by the various constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are represented by similar letters of reference, Figure l is a view in side elevation and partially in section of a Wringer embodying my invention, the parts being shown in a normal inoperative position.i

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same resting on the rim rof a sheet-metal tub, but not clamped thereto, the rollers of the wringer in consequence not being in contact or operative position with each other. The lower end of the post is shown in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrow, except that the wringeris shown clamped to the tub. The post is broken away in part to show the roller-supports and the grooved track for the same. Fig. @tis a detail in side elevation of the metal casting for hinging the clamp to the wringer-post and for pivoting the lever which elevates the ,lower roller. The lever is shown attached to the pivot, and the post is shown' indotted lines. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the wringer-post on the line 5 5 of Fig.

l, looking down and showing one of the hingeirons on the post. Figs. 6 and 7 are views in `elevation of the support for the lower roller.' Figs. 8 and 9 are end and side views, respectively, of the collar and trunnions on the ends ofthe wringer-shafts. Fig. l0 is a detail view Vof the lever which elevates the lower roller. rThe full lines show the lever in position assu med when `the roller is in its elevated position, and the dotted lines show the position of the lever when the roller is lowered.

tially, of the two vend posts a c, which stand normally vertical and which are connected at the top by a cross-bar c and below the center by the rear cross-board c2 and the front cross-bar c3. r

B and B are the rollers, which are formed each with a central shaft band b and an outer covering of rubber or other flexible ma; terial in the usual manner. The shafts b and b are extended to form suitable journals for their rollers, and the shaft Z9 is extended sufficiently to receive the crank 57, by means of which motion is imparted to the rollers.

C are sleeves at each end of bothof the rollers, mounted on the projecting ends of their shafts b and b. The sleeves have the-lateral diametrically opposite trunnions C".

D are yokes, the stems of which are notched at the ends to fit the contour of the trunnions C and into which the sleeves are inserted far enough to cause the trunnions to restin the notches.

The manner of mounting the yokespin the frame of thewringer is as follows: lThe posts c' are slotted centrally from the upper end for a suitable'distance below the normal position of the lower roller, as shown at A, and the inner sides of the slots are grooved longitudinally, as sho wn at A2. The slots are wide enough to receive the sleeves which are Vprojected into them, and the grooves are wide IOO enough to form guidesor runs forv the sides of the yokes, as clearly shown in Fig. 3,whereby a longitudinal movement of the yokes is permitted. By the construction ashere shown and described the yokes hold the sleeves from rotating, but permit a tilted adjustment on the roller, as becomes necessary when the clothes passing through the wringer happen t0 be bunched at one end; but the wringershafts at all times are free to revolve in the sleeves. The yokes are strengthened bythe webs d, connecting the two stems, as shown, and the lower yokes are provided with an integral bolt extension D2, which passes down through a suitably-bored opening a7 (see Fig. 5) into contact with the lever E, which projects beyond the limits of the post to which it is pivoted when the wringer is in its inoperative position, but when forced in by the operation of clamping elevates the lower yoke and its roller. l

Resting on the upper yokes is the bar F, and above it is the bar F. The ends of the bars extend into the slots in the posts a. Between the two bars is a spring F2, here shown as a piece of rubber. The top bar is adjustable in position by means of the set-screws ff; but the action of the spring F2 is to force down the bar F, and also the upper roller, through the connection of the roller with the bar by means of the yokes and trunnioned sleeves. The maximum downward movement of the roller is determined by the bolts G, which extend transversely of the posts in the path of the sleeves. When the wringer is removed from the tub, the spring F2 forces the upper roller down until the sleeves are arrested by the bolts G, whereit stops. The unclamping of the wringer releases the levers E, thereby permitting the lower yolces and the lower roller supported by them to drop down, bringing the lower roller out of contact with the upper roller.

H is an apron, which is hinged to the side f the wringer, whereby it can beV folded up against the frame when notin use anddropped down, as shown in the drawings, to guide the articles passing through the wringer.

II is a draining-board secured between the posts at an angle to drain the water wrung from the clothes into the tub.

I will now describe the clamp for securing the wringer to tubs of any thickness.

I is a metal plate, preferably of cast-iron, whichis preferably fastened to the inner side of the frame-posts by means of the screw t' and the lug t" at its inner end, which latter is seated in an opening in the surface of the post. The outer edge of the plate is provided with the parallel ears I I', between which the end of a clamp-arm .I is hinged, and these ears are made to project laterally from the plate toward the middle of the edge of the post. This is because the post will form one member of the clamp, and it is desired to hinge the arm .I squarely opposite the post to secure a direct bearing against it when the clamp is tightened up. The post will preferably be notched in the manner as shown in Fig. 5 to accommodate the hingeplate. Cast integrally with the plate I is the downward extension K, which terminates with inside spindle IC, which is projected through an opening in the post and forms the pin on which the lever E is fulcrumed. A

shoulder is formed by reducing the outer portion of the spindle, and the lever fits against this shoulder. The extreme outer end of the pin is reduced to provide another shoulder to retain a washer which is applied andheld by riveting the end of the pin around and onto it.

The outer end of the clamp-arm J is bent down at right angles and terminates with a threaded opening through which the thumbscrewJ2is inserted. The horizontal member of the arm has the underside flange J3. The screw J2 has a reduced inner end, upon which the bearing-bar M is fastened by projecting the reduced end of the screw through an opening in the bar. This opening m in the bar is conical, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, to permit a change in the angular position of the bar with relation to its screw which is made necessary by the angular differences in the different tubs to which the wringer may be applied. 'lhe upper end ofthe bai-is provided with the notch m, into which the flange J3 enters, whereby the bar is maintained in a constantly vertical position. The lower end of the bar may, if the-part above is too narrow, be expanded, as shown at m2, to increase the bearing-surface, and the upperinner side is provided with the concave notch or outturn' m3 to engage the wire-bound rim of sheet-metal tubs. Then the wringer is applied to such tubs, the bar will have bearing-contact at two places m2 and m3. Immediately below the notch or outturn m3 is a plate-like formation m7, which does not contact with the tub, or at least does not so contact with the sheet-metal tub as to prevent the engagement of the upper end of the bar with the turned edge of the tub when the wringer is applied to sheet-metal tubs, but forms the upper contacting surface when the wringer is fastened to a wooden tub. A broad bearing at the bottom at least is necessary to prevent injury to the walls of the tub.

It will be noted that the clamp-bar is so shaped that when the lower bearing-surface isvin contact with the tub the notch at the upper end gives to the bar a sufficient outturn or outward extension to allow a perfect contact longitudinally of the bearing-surface at the lower end of the bar when the upper outwardly-extending end of the bar is in engagement with the turned edge of the tub, and as the engagement of the clamp with the upper turned edge of the tub so supports the clamp as to prevent largely the vibration of the sides of the tub when the wringer is under strain this arrangement insures a sufficiently large contact-surface at the lower end of the bar to prevent the cutting or tearing out of the metal by the action of the clamp upon it.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a clamp for clothes-wringers, the combination with the wringer-frame; of a clamp- IIO arm extending from said frame; a pressurebar arranged in the proper relation to said arm to contact the tub when the wringer is in place, said bar having its upper end extending outwardly to engage the turned edge of a metal tub, and a broad bearing on its lower part adapted to engage the side of -a metal tub; and means for exerting pressure from the arm upon said bar, said means being arranged to press the upper end and broad bearing of said bar into engagement with the turned edge and side of the tub respectively.

2. In a clamp for clothes-wringers, the combination with a wringer-frame; of a clampa'rm extending from said frame; apressurebar arranged in proper relation to said arm to contact the tub when the wringer is in place, said bar having a transverse notch in its upper part adapted to engage the turned edge of a metal tub, and a broad bearing on its lower part adapted to engage the side of the tub, and a bearing adjacent to the said notch for the purposes described; and means for exerting pressure from the arm upon said bar between said transverse notch and upper bearing, and the bearing on the lower part of said bar.

3. In a clamp for clothes-wringers, the vertical wringer-post; an arm having a horizon- V tal body portion secured to the post at one end and having its other end bent down approximately at right angles to the horizontal portion, said horizontal portion having an under side longitudinal flange; a set-screw working in a threaded opening in the outer end of the arm and a pressure-bar mounted on the inner end of the screw and having its upper end bifurcated and engaging the under side lian ge on the arm, and having a concave notch on the inner side of its upper end and an expanded lower end below the point of attachment of the bar to the screw, all substantially as described and specified.

4. In a clamp for clothes-wringers, the vertical wringer-post; an arm having a horizontal body portion secured to the post at one end and having its other end bent down approximately at right angles to the horizontal portion, said horizontal portion having an under side longitudinal flan-ge; a set-screw working in a threaded opening in the outer end of the arm and a pressure-bar mounted on the inner end of the screw and havingits upper end bifurcated and engaging the under side iian ge on the arm and having a concave notch on the inner side of its upper end; an expanded portion forming a Wide bearing above the point of attachment of the bar to the screw when the clamp is applied to a wooden tub; and an expanded lower end below the point of attachment of the bar to the screw; all substantially as described and specified.

5. The combination with the post of a clothes-wringer of an arm hinged thereto to swing horizontally, said arm having a horizontal body portion with an under side longitudinal lian ge, and an outer downwardly-bent portion; a screw working through the outer end of the arm having its inner end reduced in diameter; a bar with a transverse conical opening approximately midway of its length whereby the bar is adjustably secured to the screw, said bar having its upper end bifurcated to engage the flange on the arm, and

khaving a concave notch on its inner side near the bifurcated end and expanded bearing portions at the lower end of the bar and above its pivotal pointsaid bearings being projected from the bar in the direction of the wringer-post, all substantially as described and for the purposes specified.

6. The combination in a wringer andwith the rollers thereof; boxes withltrunnions in which the rollers are mounted; means for limitingthe downward movement'of the upper roller; longitudinal moving vertical bolts with expanded upper endsworking in grooves inthe wrin ger-frame and supporting the trunnions on the boxes of thelower roller; vertical posts forming part of the wringer-i'rame and part of the clamps for fastening the wringer to the tub; bent arms with set-screws secured to the posts and forming the remaining members of the clamps; bent levers pivoted to the posts and projecting beyond the tub-contacting 'side of the latter when the wringer is in its inoperative position, the said vertical bolts resting on the levers whereby when the lower ends of the levers areipushed in even with the post by the operation of clamp- 'ing the wringer to the tub the lower roller placed trunnions, said sleeves beingv mounted on the projected ends of both shafts; yokes sliding in the grooved slots and engaging the trunnions of the sleeves as and for the purposes specitied; means for limiting the downward movement of the upper roller and for supporting the yokes of the lower roller, all substantially as described and specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HOWARD U. ACKERMAN. Witnesses:

JOSEPH A. MINTURN, J. S. BARTH.

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